A Story of Panic
by Perydot
Summary: As one of the many new explorers to Tharsis, you find yourself shut off from the rest of the explorers and guilds in the city. Well, that is until you eavesdrop on one guild's... "entertaining" conversation and end up hearing a story from the guild's Nightseeker. [Set in Tharsis - EOIV; Rated for language, future events; Multi-chaptered fic]
The rosy gold light gives the Dancing Peacock the look and feel of a dusky, late afternoon. It's actually only twelve noon, lunchtime. The door closes behind you, the bright sunshine shrinking down to just a peep of light from underneath the wooden door. "Back again so soon?" The bar mistress, Kirtida, speaks to you, a lilt in her honey-sweet voice. She's mocking you, you know, but at least she's playful about it.

You quietly greet her and sit in the only open seat at the bar counter. The musicians and dancers perform a new song of theirs, making good use of the space the stage provides. None of the explorers give them the time of day, though. The sounds of music, jingles of the dancers' gold belt charms, and the soft drops of their feet are overpowered by the sounds of clinking glasses and silverware scraping plates and of the explorers' laughter and talk.

Lunchtime – any time, really – is always a lively experience in the dancing hall, though you usually aren't involved in the festivities. No guilds in the city are really willing to deal with brand new explorers. From what you remember of the first explorer you encountered, newcomers were simply a burden "getting in their way of fame and fortune." It seemed like every day that new people came to the city with the hope of being the ones to be reach Yggdrasil's trunk, as said in the Outland Count's challenge.

Kirtida moves down to talk to you, taking your order. Her ever present smile signals that she already knows what you want by the time you actually speak the words aloud. You've been to the hall too often for her to not know your order.

She leaves you the next minute to relay your order to a waitress. While your food is prepared, Kirtida doles out your large mug of ale and sets it front of you. You smiled gratefully and gulp it like you haven't drank in days. "Was looking for someone to take you in that hard?" she asks you. Looking back to her, you simply sigh and take another sip. "I'm sure you'll find someone to take you in like the lost little puppy you are," Kirtida laughs playfully. You halfheartedly laugh before she leaves to tend to other patrons.

You slowly look around the hall, eyeing some of the explorers with annoyance, some with ambivalence. Though you don't know any of them on a personal level, from all your time in the place, you know who you did and did not like. The Landsknecht and Sniper sitting three tables back, two to the right, are the ones you hate the most. You find their arrogance unfounded and offensive. You roll your eyes as one of their voices carries high above the others, wishing you were tipsy enough to be able to block it out.

Thankfully and with almost godlike timing, a waitress arrives with your lunch. You thank her and as you started to cut into your lunch of roasted chicken, a band of explorers saunters into the bar. Your eyes scan the four of them; they walk with an odd sense of both purpose and leisure. Their glinting weapons catch your interest like a thief with a death wish. The furry tailed samurai's katana still drips with monster blood.

Kirtida waves them over to the far end of the bar where she deals with the bar quests. It's empty of seats and there's a back door to where she kept all the rewards. "You completed the request, have you? I wonder what that guy wanted with Frigid Sickle…" Kirtida wonders aloud and hands over the promised armor. The samurai accepts it with her claws paws. You wonder how she grips it without thumbs.

"Probably the closest he can get to a monster without pissing himself," the black leather-clad man scoffs, a twisted smile on his face. He almost looks like he's expecting the other members to laugh at his supposed joke. Bits of his teeth peek out from beneath his thin, stretched lips. They're sharp, almost to a point, and yellowed.

"Don't say stuff like that about a client!" the small Medic of the group chides, her cheeks almost as pink as her hair. She turns her head all the way up to look at the tall assassin before her. The man simply rolls his eyes and growls, his smile disappearing into a threatening sneer. The mousy Medic's thin legs start to quiver, her lips to tremble. A girl like her doesn't really have the power to go against someone like him: Nightseekers are a menacing type of person that even the bravest of explorers tend to avoid.

"Recognize you're in the company of humans, Vladimir," chides another voice. This time it's not as mousy as the Medic's, more nonchalant yet regal sounding. You can't hear what happened for a moment or two over the noise of the dancing hall, but they start to speak again. "Acting like that will do nothing for you outside of the labyrinths and caves out there. Or would you rather stay out there?"

Another low growl sounds and you see the assassin tense in his tight clothing. Color rises to his sickly pale face, thin lips sneering. "If it meant never seeing your smug face again, I'd gladly do it."

"Have a nice trip then. I'm sure no one will miss you." The owner of this voice, an iron-clad Fortress, moves past the Medic, Nightseeker, and you, and towards the hall door with ease you've only seen a Dancer employ. He stops, however, after getting to the end of the bar counter. He turns back and quickly catches your eye. You quickly duck down and continue eating. You gulp prematurely and end up swallowing a too big chunk of meat. You cough madly as it painfully moves through your chest. The Fortress is silent while you do this, and you hope he doesn't say anything to it. You'd much rather there was no public comment on your eavesdropping. And your hopes come true because he so nonchalantly ignores you and speaks to someone else. "Good day, Kirtida. I will see you later on to turn in another request." With that, he's gone from the dancing hall. You gulp your ale down to help the chicken go down better. You hear a voice from down the counter and your eyes are drawn back to the guild.

"Wish the Pincer swiped his big head off when it had the chance. His ego, too! _Tch!_ "

"I wish it took _both_ of your heads. It would save me the trouble of hearing you two bicker like children," says the feline Bushi. Her ears twitch and her eyes narrow to near slits as she turns to the Nightseeker. She does not fear him like the Medic, but she doesn't disregard him in the same way as the protector. "Perhaps you should behave more like a silent assassin… _silent!_ " She bows to Kirtida as well, in the way only the animal samurai do. "'Til later, Lady Kirtida. I will you bring the herbs you requested."

"Thank you," Kirtida says with a too wide smile. She's probably laughing at the whole scene with the four member guild. "I'll be looking forward to it." The Bushi takes her leave, request reward in hand ― _paw_. Her eyes dart to you as she notices your stares. You gulp and look down at your plate; your lunch is barely half eaten. But she says nothing like Fortress and leaves.

"What is _she_ acting so high and mighty about then, huh?" grumbles the accosted man. He leans against the counter, frightful expression on his face. Kirtida just smiles her ever present smile and goes back to the drinks. "Acting like she didn't―"

" _Vladimir!_ "

"You, too, then?" the Nightseeker huffs.

The Medic pauses for a moment, trying to figure out what she should say to make sure he doesn't make her tremble like a dry leaf in the breeze. "We just shouldn't mention that, okay? You know how those people feel about their honor? She would…" the girl simply looks to the ground and, you guess, sighs.

The man clicks his tongue and turns away from the girl. She takes the hint and also leaves. She doesn't notice you and your staring at all, unlike the others, and leaves without a second glance.

"Always a lively group, aren't you?" Kirtida laughs as she hands a few drinks to patrons down the counter.

"If people jumping on everything you say is 'lively', then yes," the Nightseeker named Vladimir grumbles.

She simply smirks. "I'm sure to an outsider, though, it's rather lively." Kirtida glances over at you, stare lingering long enough for the explorer in front of her to get the hint. "Enviably so." Avoiding the man's eyes, you sent a glare the proprietress' way. It was really only then that you realize you watched the entire scene like it was a show Kirtida had arranged to be shown on stage. Being bored in the town had lent yourself to being much nosier than you ever were. You placed the blame on the guilds here not allowing you to join them and dig into your now lukewarm, half eaten chicken. The skin sticks to your lips as you hope nothing would come of Kirtida's ode to your nosiness. It seems like her newest way of amusing herself was to do anything within her power to mess with you. Newbies must be much more fun to mess with than with veterans…

The Nightseeker's ever present stare bore itself into your form like a predator with its prey. It was than uncomfortable, to say the least. "'Enviable'? Ha!" he laughs with that creepy smile of his. He slides down the bar and squeezes out a space between you and the next person at the bar. "Another newbie, it looks like," he comments with a sneer. You gulp anxiously.

"No, I'm not," you lie. Bluff and that'll get you somewhere… maybe?

The Nightseeker raises his eyebrows in disbelief… or at least, you think they do. His bangs are a little too long to tell. "Really now? You came all the way to Tharsis to explore our mighty labyrinths and caves _alone_?"

Double down. "Yeah, that's right."

Vladimir laughs a bit and wedges himself in between you and the next patron. The guy behind him looks annoyed enough to yell at Vladimir, but he bites his tongue as soon as Vladimir turns his head. "Problem?" The man holds eye contact for a few seconds and then turns away, grumbling into his drink. "That's funny, Newbie, because I've seen you around the Explorer's Guild looking like a lost little kid. Someone to bring you in? Looking for pointers?"

"You have any to give?"

Vladimir smirks a little. "Plenty. Hey, move it!" He jabs the guy behind him in the ribs.

"Argh! For Yggdrasil's sake!"

"Move. Now."

"Like Hell I will!"

"Hmph! Really now? You wanna go against me of all people, Gregori?"

The two men stare at each other for a while, leaving you off to the side looking really uncomfortable. Who would've thought you would be the instigator for a bar fight… or well, _stand-off_ for as long as this goes on. Where's Kirtida to play a meddling, but peacekeeping hand when you need it?

"Damn you, Vladimir…" Gregori says with a heavy huff, slapping down ten En for his drink. He grabs his bow on his way out and Vladimir quickly takes over his seat.

"Such a wuss, I tell you. Can barely look me in the eye after I threatened to throw him to one of those Tusked Crushers. He even left my guild because of it," Vladimir scoffs. "A drink, Kirtida, and… what's that?"

"Chicken," you answer.

"Chicken, too. Thanks," he says as Kirtida hands him his drink. A couple of long gulps later, the Nightseeker turns to you with what you're guessing his signature sneer. "I'll you a couple of pointers, Newbie. Here's the first: when you try to lie, make sure it's believable. And that you nose doesn't turn as red as a Red Kokanee."

"...I thought I got rid of that…"

"Try harder next time. Next: make sure to always keep your head."

"Stay calm? I think I got that one down."

"Not that, you idiot!" he scoffs. Vladimir sighs and takes another gulp of his drink. "Good thing I ordered, I'll probably be here for a while… Alright, Newbie, I have a little story for you. Ready?"

"Hey, just because I'm new, that doesn't mean I'm any less capable as you or that Gregori guy or whoever!"

"…so, are you ready?"

"…yes…"

"Okay then, here we go…"


End file.
